Taking Sides
Mark 2:1-12
If someone broke through your roof to get your attention, would you think that was a good thing or a bad thing?
Photo by Razvan Trif on Unsplash
When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, "Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, ’stand up and take your mat and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-- he said to the paralytic-- "I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home." And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" - Mark 2:1-12
Jesus was at home.
It had to be the home of his family, since Jesus spent his time traveling around. So these people who couldn't get their friend in through the door decide to damage the home of Jesus' family to get to Jesus.
How do you think his family felt about that?
Chances are the type of roof this house had was a flat roof, suitable for drying produce and sleeping. It might have been made by laying wooden beams across stone walls, with thatch or reeds over the beams, sealed with mud for protection from the rain.
Commentaries on scripture downplay the destructive nature of this entry, assuming that the removal of tiles indicated the roof could be opened.
That makes sense, I guess, but it is still breaking and entering in a modern police drama context.
The question it raises in my mind is this. Is it justified to break the law or rules in order to get help for someone?
Most of us would probably say "Yes" if the situation is dire and there is no other way. So, this opportunity to meet with Jesus and have him cure the sick was unique.
Remember how he said he could do no acts of healing in his own hometown because of the disbelief?
There is little disbelief here in this scene. In fact, somehow, scribes were there as well, witnessing these signs.
What we focus on in this text is that Jesus cured the man. What the scribes focused on was his choice of words. And what I chose to focus on was the criminal act of getting the man to him.
We see evidence of this multi-perspective approach to interpreting the actions of people today. Some of us focus on the crime and not the compassion, while others see the compassion as paramount.
We ask ourselves what Jesus would do, but we should also ask ourselves what the authorities would do.
If we can see things from all perspectives, we have a better chance of understanding the differences among us.
But that didn't work in Jesus' day, and it won't work today. We simply like to take sides.
More to come...